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* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
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......«\*@ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST @*\«......
.......«\* BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO *\«.......
......«\*@ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# AND A GIFT SHOP. #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY @*\«......
.......«\* MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE *\«.......
......«\*@ CONSIDERED POOR. @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, @*\«......
.......«\* SOME ARE SHATTERED. *\«.......
......«\*@ @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ ** @*\«......
.......«\* ** ** *\«.......
......«\*@ ««««««« * * ««««««« @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ ** ** ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# ** #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF @*\«......
.......«\* DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO *\«.......
......«\*@ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM @*\«......
.......«\* WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS *\«.......
......«\*@ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN @*\«......
.......«\* ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING *\«.......
......«\*@ LIT FROM BEHIND. @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. @*\«......
.......«\* *\«.......
......«\*@ ** @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ ** ** ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# ««««««« * * ««««««« #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## ** ** ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### ** ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, @*\«......
.......«\* IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. *\«.......
......«\*@ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM @*\«......
.......«\* A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS *\«.......
......«\*@ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, @*\«......
.......«\* WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND *\«.......
......«\*@ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ FLOOR. ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ @*\«......
.......«\* HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO *\«.......
......«\*@ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO @*\«......
.......«\* MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A *\«.......
......«\*@ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## BECOME STILL. ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## ** ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# ** ** #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ ««««««« * * ««««««« ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ ** ** @*\«......
.......«\* ** *\«.......
......«\*@ @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, #¶@*\«....
.....«\*@¶ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¶@*\«.....
......«\*@ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. @*\«......
.......«\* *\«.......
......«\*@ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER @*\«......
.....«\*@¶ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¶@*\«.....
....«\*@¶# GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND #¶@*\«....
...«\*@¶## I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ##¶@*\«...
..«\*@¶### THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ###¶@*\«..
...«\*@¶## ##¶@*\«...
....«\*@¶# I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. #¶@*\«....
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